Glossary / Instagram

Industry terms

Broadcast channel

A broadcast channel is a one-to-many chat on Instagram where a creator posts updates to everyone who joins, and members can react and vote but not reply.

Also called: Instagram broadcast channel, Instagram channel, IG channel

By Aulto · Last reviewed

What can you post in a broadcast channel?

Text, photos, videos, voice notes and polls. Only the creator sends messages; members can react and vote in polls. The channel sits in members' inboxes alongside their other chats.

How do people join?

When you send the first message, your followers get a one-time notification inviting them in. After that, people can join from a sticker in your stories or a link on your profile. Only members who joined get notified of new updates, and they can mute or leave at any time.

What is it good for?

Short, frequent updates for people who want to hear from you: studio notes, a first look at cover art, a date announcement, a poll on which song to release next.

Example

A Mumbai indie singer runs a channel where she posts voice notes from the studio, a poll between two song titles, and the release date before it goes anywhere else.

  • Insta DM

    An Insta DM is a private direct message on Instagram, the chat inbox separate from public posts and comments.

  • Close Friends

    Close Friends is an Instagram list of people you choose; content shared to it is seen only by them and marked with a green badge.

  • Superfan

    A superfan is one of the small group of fans who do the most: they stream on repeat, buy merch and tickets, and bring other people in.

  • Owned audience

    An owned audience is the people you can reach directly, like your email list or opted-in WhatsApp contacts, without depending on a platform's algorithm.

  • Add Yours sticker

    The Add Yours sticker is an Instagram sticker that sets a prompt, like "show your first concert ticket", which other people answer with their own story or reel.

  • Alt text

    Alt text is a short written description of an image that screen readers read aloud, so people who can't see the picture know what it shows.

Sources

Turn every click and comment into a fan you can reach

Smart links, pre-saves, bio pages and Reply Drop for Instagram, in one place.

Start free trial